(Silver Spring, Md.) - Earth is ripe with obscure creatures and monumental mysteries that remain tucked away beyond the edges of the map, but this MONSTER WEEK, these beasts have nowhere to hide. Animal Planet's giant of a week returns for its third year and is so large it needs nine days to tell the frightfully fun and over-the-top tales of the monsters that lurk below water and stalk on land.

Beginning Sunday, May 18, at 9 PM ET/PT, join Animal Planet's Showtime Eric Young as he hosts nightly premieres of programming, which include the network's marquee two-hour special, BLOOD LAKE: ATTACK OF THE KILLER LAMPREYS, special premieres of fan-favorite RIVER MONSTERS and many more monstrous specials that transport viewers out of their living rooms and put them face to face with the colossal beasts that lurk just below the surface, and sometimes, right outside their front doors.

Premiering Sunday, May 25, at 9 PM ET/PT, BLOOD LAKE: ATTACK OF THE KILLER LAMPREYS, from the creators of Sharknado, serves as a frightening reminder that monsters come in all shapes and sizes and can attack when you least expect. Actors Shannen Doherty (90210), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) and Jason Brooks (Days of Our Lives) star in the thriller set in small-town Michigan, where lampreys terrorize the residents, and each dip in the pool or trip to the toilet turns into a life-or-death situation. Looking for their next blood-filled victim, Lampreys, which are eel-like fish with huge-toothed, funnel-like mouths, insinuate their slimy bodies throughout the town's sewer system. There is absolutely nowhere to run, and no one is safe. When are they going to strike next? Who's the next victim? The only thing you can be sure is that it's going to suck - big time!

For those who survive the blood lake, they're in for a final MONSTER WEEK treat. The week concludes on Monday, May 26, at 9 PM ET/PT, with the season finale of RIVER MONSTERS. Extreme angler Jeremy Wade dives deep into South American waters to investigate the legend of the "Water Mama," a monstrous beast that leaves carnage behind and blood in its wake. People are disappearing without a trace, and Wade is determined to uncover the truth behind this beastly mystery. But, as he gets closer to debunking the myth, he learns he may actually reveal "killer mermaids."

Not all the action in the most anticipated week in cable takes place in the water. On land, MONSTER WEEK has you covered with NATURE'S MOST WANTED (working title), a special that follows a quest to find and relocate a gigantic crocodile that is tormenting a local village and MAN-EATING ZOMBIE CATS, about big cats with an incurable pathogen and a sensational thirst for human blood.

BLOOD LAKE: ATTACK OF THE KILLER LAMPREYS is produced for Animal Planet by The Aslyum. Erin Wanner is the executive producer and Hilary Tholen is the producer for Animal Planet. For The Asylum, David Rimawi is executive producer, David Michale Latt is producer, Paul Bales is a co-producer and David Garber is the associate producer. The project was developed for Animal Planet by Vice President of Development Andy Berg.

About Animal Planet:

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. Animal Planet consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 95 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, and merchandising extensions.